Condenser



Sept. 17, 1929. z, w 'r 1,728,740

counnusmn Original Filed Feb. 23, 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 I /2 v m N a o I3 aa ii EXPANSION 1" VALVE l Hll l l Hill! H Patented Sept. 17, 1929UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE.

ZEBULON WIR'I, or LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR or ONE-FOURT TO'EID- WARD CACKLEY, F OMAHA, NEBRASKA CONDENSER Application filed.February 23, 1922, SeriaINo. 538,544. Renewed August 17,1928. 1

Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the condensing device.

Like numerals refer to like parts through out the several figures.

In carrying out the invention I provide some suitable gas which can beeasily liquefied or condensed, and which when converted into a gas willproduce the desired cooling effect. I have. found that for house boxessulphur dioxide is very efficient for this pur pose. The gas iscondensed in the condenser 1, and. the liquid. then passes through pipe1* into the receiver .2, and through the expansion valve 8, and it thenpasses through a suitable expansion coil or coils 4: where it is againconverted into a gas in the refrigerator 5, which may be of any suitableconstruction,

and arrangement. The gas then passes through pipe 6 to a compressor 7w-hich'may be of any suitable construction. This compressor is operatedby a suitable motor 8.

5 A vacuum gauge 6 is connected with this pipe 6. A pipe 9 leads fromthe compressor 7 to the condenser 1. The supply of the refrigeratingmaterial may be inserted through the pipe 10, which has a valve 11.pres- 0 sure gauge 12 is provided in communication with the pipe 9, sothat thepressure can be ascertained. The pipe 9 is provided with acollecting chamber 18 for any foreign material that may be in the gas,and this collecting chamber has a discharge 14:, controlled by a valve15. The pipe 9 enters the condenser 1 and connects with a coil 16 in-which the compressed gas is cooled and liquefied. The casing of thiscondenser is preferably of thin metal.

I provide means forsupplying water and evaporating it in proximity tothe pipe of the coil 16. In the construction herein shown I provide awater supply pipe 17, which enters the condenser at the top, and whichcommunicates with a coil 18, preferably a single coil, having dischargeopenings 18 at various points which discharge the water, so that it runsdown along an evaporating device consisting of, in this particular in--stance, pieces of canvas, felt, asbestos .or

other suitable web like material 19, 20, through which aircan pass.Theselwebs are placed on opposite sides of the coil 16, and extendlongitudinally, as shown. The water is preferably discharged between thewebs 19 and 20 so that it will run down along the coils and wet thesewebs. These webs may be arranged in various ways, but, I prefer to havethemin strips, and to hold them'in place by means of coils of springwire21;, 22, located on the outside and inside, as shown 'in Fig. 2, thecoils of the wires being located between the coils of the pipe, and. thewebs being held. inplacelby the pressure of the coils 21 and 22. Air isforced up around the coils in, any suitable manner,as by. means of anair moving device which is illustrated as a fan, 23, operated bythemotor 8. The fan is preferably mounted directly upon the condenser asshown. This condenser has at the bottom, an air chamber 24:, whichcommunicates with the fan 23. Above this air chamber is awater chamber25, and passing through the center of this water chamber is a passageway26 forthe air from the air chamber .24. The water chamber is providedwith an outlet 27 for any surplus water The surpluswater from the coil18 enters the water chamber 25, and the ends of thewebs 19 and 20preferably projectintothis water chamber so that they ".villbe'wet,andthey will'also act by capillary attractionto draw the water upwardlytherealong.

The casing of the condenser is preferably provided with a 'removabletop28 and a removable bottom 29. The water chamber 25 is separate from thecasing and on the inside thereof and is removable, and thecoil 18andassociated partsiof the casing may also, be removed to give access tothe parts. By means of this construction the coil can be easily, quicklyand cheaply assembled and covered and uncovered as desired.

I prefer to provide an obstructing device 30 at the top of thecondenser, which prevents the air from passing straight through, andcauses it to go through the porous webs 19 and 20. There is an airchamber 31 at the top into which this air passes, and it is thendischarged through the discharge 32. This air causes the water on thewebs 19 and 20 to be evaporated and carries the evaporated water outthrough the discharge, and thus cools the gas in the coil 16. In thecondenser the gas is liquefied and the liquid passes into the receiver2.

I preferto make the device automatic and to do this I provide some meansfor automatically turning on and shutting off the water supplied to coil18. In the construction shown this is accomplished by means of a valve33 in the pipe 17. This valve is providedwith an arm 34 which isconnected with a governor 35, operated from the motor shaft 36. Theparts are arranged so that when the shaft 36 is operating, the governorwill move the arm 34 to open the valve and let water into the coil 18.When the motor stops, the governor moves so as to move the arm 3% toclose the valve 33 and shut off the water. I prefer to provide a spring37 to assist this latter movement.

I have described in detail a particular construction embodying theinvention but it is of course evident that the parts may be varied inmany particulars Without departing from the spirit of the invention asembodied in the claims hereto appended, and I therefore do not limitmyself to the particular construction shown. 4

The use and operation of my invention are as follows When the parts areset up ready to operate, the refrigerant is inserted through the pipe10. The motor 8 is started in operation, and this operates thecompressor 7 and opens the valve 33 and admits water to the coil 18. Thewater then flows down along the evaporating device consisting of thewebs 19 and 20. The compressor compresses the gas and forces it throughthe coil 16. The fan also forces air up through the condenser. This airevaporates the water and cools the coil 16, and the refrigerant therein,and this refrigerant is then condensed and passes through pipe 1 intothe receiver or collector 2. The expansion valve 3 then reduces thepressure so that this'liquid is again converted into a gas, and itpasses in an expanded and cool condition through the coil 4: where itscooling eifect' is used in any manner desired. The gas then absorbs heatfrom the material or articles to be cooled, and passes throughpipe 6 tothe compressor 7, and the operation hereinbefore described is continued.

I claim:

1. An article of manufacture comprising a condenser having an outercasing, a coil of pipe in said casing through which the ma terial to becondensed passes, water evaporating material extending as cylindricalwalls along the inner and outer faces of said coil, holding means forholding said material in posit-ion, a water supplying pipe for supplyingwater thereto and means for automatically supplying water to saidsupplying pipe.

2. An article of manfacture comprising a condenser having an outercasing, a coil of pipe in said casing through which the material to becondensed passes, water evaporating material extending longitudinally onthe inner and outer faces of said coil, holding means for holding saidmaterial in position, a water supplying pipe for supplying waterthereto, an air passageway extending along the interior of said coil,and means for forcing the air through said evaporating material beforeit can be discharged from the condenser.

An article of manufacture comprising a condenser having an outer casing,a coil of pipe in said casing, water evaporating material on the innerand outer surfaces of said coil and extending longitudinally therealong,means for supplying water to the water evaporating material, and meansfor bold ing said water evaporating material in proper relation to saidcoil, comprising inner and outer holding coils located between the coilsof said pipe and between which said evaporating material is held.

4. An article of manufacture comprising a condenser having an outercasing, a Water chamber at the bottom of said casing, a coil of pipe insaid casing, water evaporating material on the inner and outer surfacesof said coil and extending longitudinally therealong, means forsupplying water to the water evaporating material, the surplus waterbein deposited in said water receptacle, and means for holding saidwater evaporating material in proper relation to said coil comprisinginner and outer holding coils located between the coils of said pipe andbetween which said evaporating material is held.

5. An article of manufacture comprising a condenser having an outercasing, a water chamber at the bottom of said casing, a coil of pipe insaid casing, water evaporating material on the inner and outer surfacesof said coil and extending longitudinally therealong, means forsupplyingwater to the water evaporating material, the surplus water beingdeposited in said water receptacle, means for holding said waterevaporating material in proper relation to said coil comprising innerand outer holding coils located between the coils of said pipe andbetween which said evaporating material is held, an air moving deviceattached to said outer casing, an air chamber at the bottom of saidcasing communicating with said air moving device, said water receptaclebeing provided with a centrally located air passageway communicatingwith said air chamber and extending into the center of said coil.

6. An article of manufacture comprising a condenser having an outercasing, a water chamber at the bottom of said casing, a coil of pipe insaid casing, water evaporating material on the inner and outer surfacesof said coil and extending longitudinally therealong, means forsupplying water to the water evaporating material, the surplus waterbeing deposited in said water receptacle, means for holding said waterevaporating material in proper relation to said coil comprising innerand outer holding coils located between the coils of said pipe andbetween which said evaporating material is held, an air moving deviceattached to said outer casing, an air chamber at the bottom of saidcasing communicating with said air moving device, said water receptaclebeing provided with a centrally located air passageway communicatingwith said air chamber and extending into the center of said coil, adischarge at the upper end of said casing, and an air obstructing devicebetween said discharge and said air chamber which causes the air to passthrough the evaporating ma- "terial before escaping from said casinSigned at Chicago, county of Cook and State of Illinois, this 15th dayof February,

ZEBULON lVIRT.

